Claremont school board gives report on repaired-hold issues in buildings

CLAREMONT - Poor facility conditions at Claremont High School were cited in a recent report on a Williams Uniform Complaint, a type of state complaint that alleges discrimination or violation of a federal or state law or regulation.

Board members of the Claremont Unified School District recently learned from school staff that the conditions reported were being repaired.

"The issues of leaking roofs at Claremont High School expands these issues to all CHS buildings and further goes on to question the district's actions in building repair in numerous areas," aid Kevin Ward, assistant superintendent of human resources.

Both complaints came from a Claremont High employee, the first on Feb. 28, regarding stains from leaking water in two quad areas of the campus.

Officials said the complaint was concerned about health conditions or possible building conditions. Workers found and removed a section of mold above dropped-tile ceiling in a classroom as well as paint that was believed to be lead-based.

Officials said the mold was not hazardous.

Information on the first complaint was sent to the state on June 30, Ward said.

The second complaint was filed on June 11, which was investigated, the items addressed and a response from the district was issued to the employee on Aug. 14.

School board president Jeff Stark asked for further information after the presentation about mold in quad areas of the high school.

"People hear `Oh yeah, mold' and they assume the whole quad is thriving with mold," Stark said. "I'm interested to know how big of an area."

Rick Cota, director of nutrition services and executive director of the Service Center, said the area was in the beam of a ceiling past multiple layers of ceiling tiles and installation and was less than a size of a quarter.

"Which they attribute to perhaps years ago there might have been some water leaks that perhaps there was enough air to have formed this," Cota said.

"And then on the exterior of (another) quad, it was a smaller trace. They also make clear in the report that a lot of times in your own home garden you'll find the same spore, the same mold, because it's just naturally occurring when you have water, air and perhaps wood or something of that nature."